The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of hybrid Baptisia plant, botanically known as Baptisia×variicolor ‘Twilite’ and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘Twilite’. The new cultivar represents a new false indigio, an herbaceous perennial grown for landscape use.
The new invention arose from an ongoing controlled breeding program in Glencoe, Ill. There are approximately 17 species of Baptisia that are native to North America, many of which have highly ornamental flowers and foliage and excellent adaptability to garden cultivation. The breeding program was established in 1995 with the goal of developing novel interspecific Baptisia hybrids with unique and superior garden attributes.
‘Twilite’ was derived from an F1 cross made in 1998 under controlled conditions (that excluded natural pollinators) between an unnamed plant of Baptisia australis as the female parent and an unnamed plant of Baptisia sphaerocarpa as the male parent. ‘Twilite’ was selected in 2002 as a single plant amongst the resulting seedlings and placed under trials for potential introduction.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by stem cuttings in 200 in Glencoe, Ill. by the inventor. The characteristics of this cultivar have been determined to be stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.